Democrats give Ron Reagan prime time speaking slot

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/...ats/index.html

Kerry aide: Late president's son to address stem cell research

(CNN) -- Ron Reagan will speak in prime time at the Democratic National Convention on the importance of stem cell research, a senior adviser to presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry told CNN on Sunday.

The Kerry adviser, who did not want to be identified, said the appearance of the younger son of the late former President Ronald Reagan came about after "overtures were made by both sides -- friends of both."

The adviser did not say on which night Reagan, 46, will speak. The four-day convention kicks off July 26 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ron Reagan, a self-described liberal whose political views were often at odds with his conservative Republican father, has said publicly that he does not support President Bush's re-election.

Reagan raised eyebrows during his father's burial service in June when he said in his eulogy that his father "never made the fatal mistake of so many politicians, wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage."

[GypsySorcerer]

What I don't understand is how Ron Reagan can say that the Republican Party of today is not the same Party his father belonged to. Now if he had said the Republican Party today is not the same as Teddy Roosevelt's, or heck, even Nixon's, that would be more accurate.

[estranged4life]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/...ats/index.html

Kerry aide: Late president's son to address stem cell research

that now stem cell research is starting to become an ever-growing topic that will become a bigger political issue as November nears...

I even seen it being debated this morning on the local KFOR (Channel 4) Sunday morning political show "Flashpoint" between a Republican candidate for the US Senate (Who is pro-life and is an Doctor of OB, And very anti-stem cell research) and a former Democratic Oklahoma Congressman (My personal views on stem cell research are simple, Stem cell research is now being used to discover cures & new treatments for certain cancers, Such as the one my wife Debbie is suffering from, Non-Gladular Hodgkin's Lymphoma...'Nuff said.)

Seems the song "The Great Debate" by Dream Theater was accurate in knowing this issue will be becoming the next "great debate" in politics (The lyrics are centered in the mix whereas the newsclips/debates for those in favor are mixed to the left and the views of those against it are mixed to the right for the first 2:43 of the song...Which is accurate for the political views of each party towards stem cell research.)


"The Great Debate"

"What if someone said
Promise lies ahead
Hopes are high in certain scientific circles
Life won't have to end
You could walk again

What if someone said
Problems lie ahead
They've uncovered something highly controversial
The right to life is strong
Can't you see it's wrong

Human kind has reached a turning point
Poised for conflict at ground zero
Ready for a war
Do we look to our unearthly guide
Or to white coat heroes
Searching for a cure

Turn to the light
Don't be frightened of the shadows it creates
Turn to the light
Turning away would be a terrible mistake

Anarchistic moral vision
Industries of death
Facing violent opposition
Unmolested breaths

Ethic inquisitions breed
Antagonistic views
Right wing sound bite premonitions
In a labyrinth of rules

Are you justified
Are you justified
Are you justified
Justified in taking
Life to save life
Life to save life
Taking life to save life

This embryonic clay
Wrapped in fierce debate
Would be thrown away
Or otherwise discarded

Some of us believe
It may hold the key
To treatment of disease
And secrets highly guarded

Are you justified
Are you justified
Are you justified
Justified in taking
Life to save life
Life to save life
Life to save life

Human kind has reached a turning point
Poised for conflict at ground zero
Ready for a war
Do we look to our unearthly guide
Or to white coat heroes
Searching for the cure

Turn to the light
Don't be frightened of the shadows it creates
Turn to the light
Turning away would be a terrible mistake

We're reaching
But have we gone too far

Harvesting existence
Only to destroy
Carelessly together
We are sliding

Someone else's future
Four days frozen still
Someone else's fate
We are deciding

Miracle potential
Sanctity of life
Faced against each other
We're divided

Should we push the boundaries
Or should we condemn
Moral guilt and science
Have collided

Turn to the light
We defy our own mortality these days
Turn to the light
Pay attention to the questions we have raised"

[ryan8472]

Before I read the rest of the article, I thought for a second that they'd brought him back to life

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

What I don't understand is how Ron Reagan can say that the Republican Party of today is not the same Party his father belonged to. Now if he had said the Republican Party today is not the same as Teddy Roosevelt's, or heck, even Nixon's, that would be more accurate.

I agree with you there. Once a person dies, especially one's parent, we tend to immortalize them and forgive them a lot of their sins. Plus, Ron saw a side of this man that no one else really ever got to see. So I'm chalking it up to that. I am thrilled that he would speak at the convention.

[GypsySorcerer]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I agree with you there. Once a person dies, especially one's parent, we tend to immortalize them and forgive them a lot of their sins. Plus, Ron saw a side of this man that no one else really ever got to see. So I'm chalking it up to that. I am thrilled that he would speak at the convention.

Yes. I suppose you can't blame him for wanting to disassociate his father with the Party he opposes. But still the idea is ludicrous.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

What I don't understand is how Ron Reagan can say that the Republican Party of today is not the same Party his father belonged to. Now if he had said the Republican Party today is not the same as Teddy Roosevelt's, or heck, even Nixon's, that would be more accurate.

And, DEFINITELY not the "Republican Party" of Abraham Lincoln!!!!

[darklinensuit]

I'll probably be blasted for this, but I wish Nancy were the one addressing the convention. I think it would mean more to viewers.

- Jake

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I'll probably be blasted for this, but I wish Nancy were the one addressing the convention. I think it would mean more to viewers.

- Jake

She just may . . . . Although in doing so, she would relinquish any control she may have over the R's on this issue.

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

She just may . . . . Although in doing so, she would relinquish any control she may have over the R's on this issue.

I doubt she has any "control" over them. And I'll be surprised if she speaks at the Dem. convention. I just don't see her doing it.

- Jake

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I doubt she has any "control" over them. And I'll be surprised if she speaks at the Dem. convention. I just don't see her doing it.

- Jake

I think whatever control she has is behind the scenes. She, like Jackie O, is immensly popular within the R party. I tend to think the mere threat of a public rebuking of W by Nancy is enough to turn a few heads high up in the R party.

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I think whatever control she has is behind the scenes. She, like Jackie O, is immensly popular within the R party. I tend to think the mere threat of a public rebuking of W by Nancy is enough to turn a few heads high up in the R party.

I never thought she was that popular, just that she had some power through a popular husband. But I see your point about th public rebuking by a grieving widow.

- Jake